The first patch worn by our department
was a wedge
shaped gray and blue “Red-Rose” patch that was made of felt. This
patch was worn on a gray uniform shirt. The uniform shirt was light gray
and the pants were dark
colored. It was introduced by Chief Johnny Carnes sometime during the 1950's.
(The
first FD patch was exactly the same except it had FIRE rather than POLICE)

The Coat-of-Arms patch was designed by Chief Larry Lower in 1972 and was
first worn from 1972 – 1990. He changed the uniform from the above
described gray uniform to the following; a light blue shirt with navy blue
pocket flaps and epaulets. the pants were changed to navy blue with a
light blue braid that matched the shirt. The US Flag was worn on the right
sleeve. Members of the Command staff wore white shirts. In 1978, Chief
Arthur "Mac" McKeown changed the uniform shirt to navy blue and the
flag on the right sleeve was later replaced with a duplicate Coat of Arms Patch
by Chief Frank Harris.

In 1990, Chief Bill Sumner introduced a new patch with a red rose in the center.
This patch was introduced when the police department moved from 112 N. Main St.
to the current location at 405 E. Arch St. The braid on the pants were
changed from light blue to a 1/4" royal blue braid.

That
patch was modified in 1994 by former Captain Steve Willis (now County
Administrator) to add the city’s motto “Forward Together, The
Spirit of Lancaster”. The braid was changed again from a 1/4"
royal blue braid to a 1/2" royal blue braid. In 1996, Chief Benny Webb
replaced the command staff's white shirts with navy blue. Chief Webb also
added the Hash
marks, or service stripes, to the uniforms. They are small stripes worn
near the bottom of the left sleeve on long-sleeved uniforms. Each stripe
represents five years of service.

In 1999, the *Coat-of-Arms patch was reintroduced by Chief Jimmy Balkcum with minimal modifications.
The new patch is fully embroidered. Gold piping is now used for the command
staff and royal blue for uniformed patrol.

In 2007, the Police Department
switched to a subdued Coat-of-Arms Patch. This patch is worn with
the Class A Uniform which is a Black Poly/Wool blend dress uniform.